e Page 12 THE BATTALION
r WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 1981
Features
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i
Lignite coal creates
By DANA SMELSER
Battalion Reporter
Mary Cobb owns a grocery
store in the rural community of
Carlos, Texas, population: 41. In
the past three years, her annual
sales have increased more than
five times, from $90,000 to
$500,000.
Tony Kolbasinsky, who owns
the town’s beer joint, used to
know almost everyone who came
into his bar to relax, socialize and
have a few. Now, he seldom sees a
face twice.
A father of three drives 20 miles
from east Bryan on a bumpy,
crowded highway to work in Car
los. He would like to move his
family closer, but he can’t find a
place for them to live.
Why are these changes occur
ring in the small, peaceful com
munity of Carlos? The answer: lig
nite coal.
The land, rich with this miner
al, is responsible for a new power
plant being constructed near Car
los. The construction is causing
1,000 people to come to the rural
community.
Used for generating electricity,
lignite is a soft, highly combusti
ble coal which is strip mined from
the land. Because lignite is diffi
cult to transport, the electric
generating plants must be con
structed in rural areas close to the
mines.
Consequently, the construction
and operation of these plants have
a significant impact on the sur
rounding communities, such as
Carlos. _
This influx of people stimulates
growth, brings money and helps
the economy of an area that has
been stagnant for years. But, it
also causes a shortage of housing
and public services and alters the
way of life for many of the com
munity’s residents. The lignite
mining process may also cause
some undesirable environmental
effects.
The Carlos plant, under con
struction since 1979 by the Texas
Municipal Power Agency, is just
one of many lignite-fired power
plants currently operating or
being constructed or planned in
the state. Although most plants
will provide power for metropoli
tan areas, the strongest effects are
in the rural communities.
“The small rural towns just can’t
accommodate the growth,” said
Myraa Hoskins, director of econo
mic development for the Brazos
Valley Development Council. “A
thousand new people all congre
gating to work at one spot has to
have a significant impact.”
Finding housing for the workers
is the largest problem. “The hous-
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e<
problems for community
bfi
ing just isn’t here, ” Mary Cobb, their families from Minnesota this
the store owner, said.
“It’s very difficult to get buil
ders to build speculative housing
because typically the rural market
hasn’t been very good,” Hoskins
said. “In Carlos, developed hous
ing doesn’t exist. Less than one-
half of 1 percent of the workers of
the plant live in the area.”
In time, houses can be built to
alleviate some of the housing shor
tages, but even that isn’t a simple
solution.
During the construction stage
of a plant, 1,000 workers are
needed. After construction, the
builders move out and production
begins. During the production
stage of 25 to 30 years, the plant
needs only 300 employees.
What this means, according
to a Brazos Valley Development
Council report, is “during the
construction stage, there will be a
greater need for apartments and
mobile homes than single family
housing. This will change during
the operational stage, which will
require more permanent type
housing and little or no need for
temporary housing. ”
About 80 percent of the people
who work at the TMPA plant live
in Bryan or College Station, Hos
kins said.
Sue Altimore, wife of a builder
in Carlos, said they have sold ev
ery house they have in Carlos and
are beginning to show houses in
the Bryan-College Station area.
“We have people coming with
week,” she said, “and we have to
find somewhere to put them.”
An alternative to commuting, is
to live in temporary housing, such
as trailer homes. “But,” Hoskins
said, “the trailers may scatter all
over the community and that’s a
very expensive proposition to run
that many water lines.”
To add to the problem, Hoskins
said, the water quality of Carlos is
not in good shape. Many of the
water problems could be solved,
Hoskins said, with money to help
finance the growth.
The problem of providing utili
ties has spread into Brazos County
as a result of the growth. College
Station Mayor Gary Halter said
$50 million in bonds have been
issued to help finance the growth.
“We re just trying to keep our
head above water,” he said.
A Texas A&M University rural
sociologist, Steve Merdock, said
Bryan-College Station bears most
of the costs of the commuting
workers. “It costs more to provide
the services they need than they
are bringing into the communi
ty,” he said.
Although constructing a power
plant in a rural area can cause
problems in housing and public
services, for man, growth can have
positive economic effects. Store
owner Mary Cobb said: “It’s hard
to put in words or describe the
great effect it has had on the com
munity — it’s been wonderful for
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Ill effects feared
from lignite minind
By DANA SMELSER
United
jWEATHI
be no q
k for you
Battalion Reporter 1,111
While residents of Carlos are seeing the immediate effects olSnouth is 3 fi
lignite mining in the influx of new residents, others see thepossibil-Brcent of a
ity of some long-term effects as well. are made b)
Probably the most controversial aspect of lignite mining is tbp} the to
environmental effects it may have. fticken is a
Although the people near Carlos will not need to worry abouttfei You will
until 1983 when production begins, they already have mixed emo-inodoubt, w
tions. When cons
“Lignite is dirty and it burns nasty,” Myrna Hoskins said. Ipics like tl
Because of this, the plants are under tight restrictions by th land and pre
Federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970 and 1977. Basicalkjttempts, t
these acts require the companies to filter the burned-off airbefott
they emit it.
Mining can disrupt a historically agricultural trend, said Eail
Hoskins (no relation), who is a professor of mining engineeringal
Texas A&M University. “It takes more people to mine than
cattle.”
Steve Merdock, a sociologist, said increased competition for laloi
is bad for farmers because they cannot afford to hire labor at higl
costs.
“The growth also brings in new businessmen with larger cap
stock and small businesses have trouble functioning/ he said.
int matte
rpose is t
[lief, says 1
emost im
Beginnii
M. B
idicated i
|e country
rillas outi
Jin a typic;
®rs and that
A new breed of people comes to the rural community along wW 115 P°P
the new businessmen. Reakfast. N
“Before, Carlos was basically a hometown, Mary Cobb sail■ , P orta nt-
“Now, it’s like a little city in a small community.”
A&M traffic tickets
lead to appeals pant
By RUBY DANIELS
Battalion Reporter
Reading a Texas A&M Univer
sity traffic ticket can be more im
portant than most people realize
since it often is the ticket to the
Traffic Appeals Panel.
Serving as a check on ticketing
practices, the five-member panel
bears the defense side of alleged
violators’ stories.
“This year I would estimate
(the success rate of appeals) at ab
out 50-50,” said Maj. Morris Mad
dox, assistant chief of the Univer
sity Police Department.
Appeals are granted to oper
ators of registered and unregis
tered vehicles for all types of traf
fic violations, he said. Parking 1
tickets are most common.
Hearings are conducted by
separate panels each week in 161
East Kyle Field. Rulings are made
immediately after each case.
Each panel, composed of stu
dents and staff members, is
appointed in conjuction with Stu
dent Government and Dr. John J.
Koldus, vice president for student
services.
A person could appeal if he felt
a space were not properly marked,
Maddox said. Others might claim
the parking area was not clearly
designated.
William L. Kibler, assistant di
rector of student affairs, gave
another example. If a student
broke his leg and failed to display
the proper temporary permits
while parked in a handicapped
space, he might get ticketed.
However, Kibler said, if a student
could provide proof of his condi
tion, the Panel would probably
dismiss the violation.
Actually, the first line of appeal
rests with the University Police
Department. Kibler explained
that Maddox discusses tickets with
students and is empowered to dis
miss violations or waive late fees.
“If the license or permit num
ber was not filled out correctly, or
if I have any doubt about the situa
tion,” Maddox said, “I can dismiss
the violation.”
One freshman protested to
Maddox that several late noli
had never been found. Afteral
minute discussion, Mad; .‘jl 1
■ .1 Ill
Lil
United
RBANA
stressful
serenity,
Jerry W.
:ts a stres:
farmers tl
jinois e>
e stress a :
;edbythe
bout thir
The wt
rkets and
laging to
pless, pi
at’s causii
in said.
Further,
waived the late fees reducing
total cost of the tickets.
Belinda Miksch, chairmai
the panel that meets onTuesdf 1 ,
said her panel has heard practio
ly every conceivable ease. Tiji
ally each lasts about 10 minuk au
she said. ILA
“The students and staffseni
on the panel have done an
standing job this year,” Mils
said. “Many students walk a
with positive feelings about®'
Appealing, however, is nojjtjjfoi } iec
ways that simple. mj^ act j,
The Texas A&M Vehicle feLy s ] ow j
illations and traffic noticesi»fe§'^ e hav<
the public that desired ap^Lhig and f
must be filed within 10daysif! wst es p ec j £
the citation is received. Eyei))p| Robinsc
previously had 72 hours toapMyJ^aehes
Now 10 days are granted toS| r i )ana .ch a
students and faculty more ti% nc l then t
Maddox said. in the white
“The (police) department! jj 0 th too
under no obligation to allowl ;ssure ha:
appeal (if it is pass the lOdayW [ esS) he sr
period), ” Kibler explained. [‘I think t
Discretion is then left to 3 sketball i
department. “You’re almost 1
their mercy after this point, •' ;
said. I
Additionally, police dep2 Tl /
ment policy explains thatfaiW
appear at a scheduled time wi
the entire appeal and manfc
full payment. Decisions are
One last resort does ess
however. The Texas A&M Vel
Regulations say that ap
may question the entire
procedure or the circumsti
followed in a particular case.
itl
NEW YC
illoon.
The surl
tad as a hi|
be seer
Only one student has gottoad for a f
beyond Miksch’s panel this yt-f Balloon
“Appealing the entire prowdio, new
dure rarely has short-term Went will
suits,” Kibler said. “RatheritiiT
in preventing future cases and®
long-term orientation.
illoons fre
First pr
heady hav
“Past complaints (nwflw 6 racc
through appeals) of insuffic* 0 orme<
parking on the west side ofcamw^ mz( f ai
eventually resulted in the ne«™ eic c *
lot being built.”
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ize the va
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